Hon Chuoi Island in Song Doc township of Tran Van Thoi district, thesouthernmost province of Ca Mau, is nearly 32 kilometres to the west of themainland. It has an area of about 7 square kilometres and its highest pointnearly 170 metres above the sea level.
Hon Chuoiis one of the important outpost islands in the southwest of Vietnam, and alsoone of the five islands included in a plan on developing islands of the youthfor the 2013 - 2020 period approved by the Prime Minister.
The islandboasts complex terrain and harsh weather conditions. With steep cliffs tens ofmetres high and a thick primeval forest, the untouched and mysterious beauty ofHon Chuoi Island remains intact nowadays.
The mostpopular plant here is wild banana, hence the name “Hon Chuoi” (Banana Island).
Compared toTho Chu, Hon Khoai, Nam Du, and Hon Doc Islands, it is rather difficult toreach Hon Chuoi since there haven’t been any tours of this island, but peoplehave to use boats of border guards or fishermen.
To set footon Hon Chuoi, visitors have to pass rough stairs or cling to rocky slopes toreach higher positions. Such vehicles as motorcycles or bicycles have yet toappear here.
However,given the crystal clear seawater around it, strangely shaped rocks, and complexterrain, Hon Chuoi is still a destination worth a visit by travelers at leastonce in their lifetime.
At mustvisit site is the Hon Chuoi Lighthouse, built by the French administration onthe highest mount in the island. It promises an interesting experience forvisitors after they complete a cut of around 3.5 kilometres through theprimeval forest and 43 steps of spiral stairs.
A vividlandscape will appear in front of visitors' eyes when standing on the peak of amountain and looking around.
Here,fishermen work hard every day to earn their living from the immense sea. Thesunset is also the time when glitters gradually appear on the sea surface offthis island, creating a sparkling scene.
Though HonChuoi is not as well-off as other islands, it is home to many touching storiesof civil - military relations. Both civilians and soldiers have come to thisplace together to develop and safeguard every inch of the Fatherland’s land andsea, braving numerous difficulties and hardships on the island.
Hon Chuoifeatures three areas called “ganh”: Ganh Nam, Ganh Chuong, and Ganh Nom. Fromthe ninth to the third lunar months, people reside in Ganh Nam (southern area)to avoid “chuong” (northeast) winds. From the third to the ninth lunar months,they move to Ganh Chuong to avoid southwest winds.
At thosetimes, soldiers of Border Guard Post 704 come to assist residents move theirhouses and gear up against storms.
Inaddition, though there hasn’t been a school on the island, soldiers have openedclasses for local children, teaching more than 20 kids from the first to thesixth grades at present. Thanks to these offshore classes, 24 children havebeen able to continue enrolling in higher grades in the mainland. Particularly,four are university graduates.
Themaintenance of those classes, as well as teachers and students’ will tosurmount difficulties, has also helped improve many islanders’ awareness.
Calm orrough the sea may be, Hon Chuoi is always busy with boats coming in or out torest, take shelter from storms, or trade aquatic products.
Thediversity of delicious and nutritious seafood also offers a wide range ofchoices for visitors to taste right on the spot or bring back home.
Thebeautiful and pristine landscape, cool climate, and tasty seafood make thisisland an ideal destination for those who love to explore and experience newplaces./.
VNA